During my recent visit to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, our tour guide casually shared a small, though perhaps not so insignificant detail: the school has been without a mascot since 2007 when the controversial native Indian Chief Illiniwek was retired in response to NCAA sanctions. While I’m sure this is not news to the Big Ten fans among you (I am shamelessly showing my ignorance about big time college sports), this revelation started me thinking. Do spectators need a mascot to foster loyalty and pride in their teams and school? How does the absence of a mascot impact school spirit, sales of logo emblazoned clothing, and even the prospects for a winning season? The mascot-less Illinois football team is currently in 8th place in its conference, but it would be quite the stretch to point the guilty finger at the erstwhile Indian chief mascot who has been gone nearly 4 years.
What makes the University of Illinois’ situation so unusual is that nearly every college and university in the United States has a mascot, regardless of the size, athletic division, or visible school spirit. Yet Chief Illiniwek’s disappearance from the Urbana campus doesn’t appear to have had any dampening influence on university pride. That’s not to say that students aren’t lobbying for a new mascot. I was struck by the swarms of orange clad students all over campus, proudly displaying their loyalty by donning school colors.
Whether or not a college is noted for its school spirit, the mascot is a symbol that engenders allegiance and instills a sense of being part of a community. Mascots reveal a fun and lighthearted side of any college, including those better known for their academic rigor than their football teams. Whenever I visit my daughter at her small New England college, a school that would probably rank low on anyone’s list of “rah rah” campuses, I can't help but notice the ubiquitous display of logos and official school attire. This sight tells me that students feel connected to the community and share a bond with others who, like them, wear their colors proudly. Even in the case of Illinois, a university still in search of a mascot, its well entrenched traditions and pride have clearly outlived the demise of a symbol.
So here’s my point. Most colleges, with or without a mascot, successfully foster a sense of community among their students. School spirit is a term that has become synonymous with “rah rah," but in fact, it exists wherever students find common ground and come together as a community. The next time you visit a college campus, notice how many students are wearing their school colors and logo, and find out about traditions and activities unique to that college campus. And don’t forget to inquire about the school mascot.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
College Costs - Achieving Greater Transparency
Even in a down economy with inflation almost non-existent, the cost of a college education continues to rise at a shocking 5% a year for private colleges. It’s not surprising that more families are asking the question: can we afford this? Improved disclosure requirements under the federal Higher Education and Opportunity Act (HEOA) may not help you pay the bill, but they will take some of the guess work out of the process.
Until recently it had not been so easy to determine a school's true Cost of Attendance or COA, which includes all the expenses associated with going to college, beyond just tuition and fees. Fortunately for the college consumer, schools are now required to provide reasonable estimates for all costs, including books, travel and other personal expenses. HEOA also stipulates that colleges have until October 2011 to display net-price calculators on their websites. These calculators will enable families to obtain a ballpark estimate of the net cost to them, after factoring in the financial aid package they might reasonably expect to receive from the school.
For those who do not wish to wait until a year from now, there are ways to get closer to estimating the actual amount they will pay. One of the best sources is the US Department of Education’s College Navigator website: http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/. This site provides a treasure trove of data pertaining to individual college costs and average financial aid awards based upon income ranges. Type in the name of a school and you will have access to the most current data reported to the U.S. government by the college. My only caveat is that you use these ranges as a guide; they are not a reliable determinant of what you will ultimately pay. Financial aid results are driven by a rather in-depth review of your personal data. Simply comparing your income to the school's posted ranges might be misleading, as income alone does not capture your full financial picture. You won’t know your actual out-of-pocket cost and the composition of the financial aid package until you file your aid applications and have the final award letters in hand.
The soon-to-be required net-price calculators will be an even more powerful tool for gaining an understanding of college costs. Colleges have the option to either build their own or use a template created by the federal government. At a minimum, the calculator must contain eight data elements designed to determine dependency status, estimate the Expected Family Contribution and approximate the COA. A handful of colleges, including Princeton, MIT and Purdue University, have gotten a jump on the task, and have already posted calculators on their websites. Even if your child is not applying to one of these colleges, you might want to play around with their calculators to get a sense for how varied your financial aid results could be from school to school.
Familiarizing oneself with the cost of college before a student actually applies will help families realistically adjust their expectations and target schools that are good fits both academically and in terms of affordability. The schools with the highest sticker prices might not be the most expensive after financial aid. Net price calculators which will be school specific should be reasonably effective in providing a ball park estimate. But as with many things, the devil will be in the details. You should use these tools to ensure that both financial and academic safeties find their way to the college list. Creating a list with affordable options will help everyone sleep better at night.
Until recently it had not been so easy to determine a school's true Cost of Attendance or COA, which includes all the expenses associated with going to college, beyond just tuition and fees. Fortunately for the college consumer, schools are now required to provide reasonable estimates for all costs, including books, travel and other personal expenses. HEOA also stipulates that colleges have until October 2011 to display net-price calculators on their websites. These calculators will enable families to obtain a ballpark estimate of the net cost to them, after factoring in the financial aid package they might reasonably expect to receive from the school.
For those who do not wish to wait until a year from now, there are ways to get closer to estimating the actual amount they will pay. One of the best sources is the US Department of Education’s College Navigator website: http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/. This site provides a treasure trove of data pertaining to individual college costs and average financial aid awards based upon income ranges. Type in the name of a school and you will have access to the most current data reported to the U.S. government by the college. My only caveat is that you use these ranges as a guide; they are not a reliable determinant of what you will ultimately pay. Financial aid results are driven by a rather in-depth review of your personal data. Simply comparing your income to the school's posted ranges might be misleading, as income alone does not capture your full financial picture. You won’t know your actual out-of-pocket cost and the composition of the financial aid package until you file your aid applications and have the final award letters in hand.
The soon-to-be required net-price calculators will be an even more powerful tool for gaining an understanding of college costs. Colleges have the option to either build their own or use a template created by the federal government. At a minimum, the calculator must contain eight data elements designed to determine dependency status, estimate the Expected Family Contribution and approximate the COA. A handful of colleges, including Princeton, MIT and Purdue University, have gotten a jump on the task, and have already posted calculators on their websites. Even if your child is not applying to one of these colleges, you might want to play around with their calculators to get a sense for how varied your financial aid results could be from school to school.
Familiarizing oneself with the cost of college before a student actually applies will help families realistically adjust their expectations and target schools that are good fits both academically and in terms of affordability. The schools with the highest sticker prices might not be the most expensive after financial aid. Net price calculators which will be school specific should be reasonably effective in providing a ball park estimate. But as with many things, the devil will be in the details. You should use these tools to ensure that both financial and academic safeties find their way to the college list. Creating a list with affordable options will help everyone sleep better at night.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Demonstrated Interest - Making Your Intentions Known
How important is it to let a college know that you really want to attend, beyond merely submitting your application? “Demonstrated interest” refers to any way in which a student reaches out to a college to show that the school is a top choice. Whether it is a campus visit, participation in an alumni interview, or reaching out to an admission representative, demonstrated interest is now a factor in the admission process for roughly 50% of the colleges that participated in a recent National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) study.
Why has demonstrated interest become so important in the admission process? The short answer is, blame it on the economy. With colleges feeling pressure to manage enrollment, especially during times of economic uncertainty, the better they can predict who will attend, the more successful they will be at filling the class and generating tuition dollars. Furthermore, improved enrollment forecasts can benefit a school’s rankings. Colleges that both lower their acceptance rates and increase yields (the percentage of accepted students who actually enroll) are likely to see their national rankings benefit too.
The obvious next question is, what is the best way to demonstrate interest and which schools care? Applying Early Decision, of course, is a clear indication to the school that it is your first choice. Since Early Decision is binding, the college has no doubt that your interest is genuine. Other ways to show you are serious about a school is by visiting the campus, scheduling an interview, especially if the college recommends it, and contacting the admission representative who covers your region. Seeking the answer to a question that is not readily available on the college website is a great way to initiate contact. When you visit a campus, be sure to fill out the information form in the admission office so that your visit is duly noted. Some colleges will tell you outright that your expression of interest is a factor in their admission process. Either way, it does no harm to get on the mailing list and contact your regional representative, as long as your questions are thoughtful and not excessive...never stalk!
However, not all colleges and universities consider demonstrated interest in their admission processes. Wondering why you weren’t asked to fill out a form when you toured Yale? Not surprisingly, the most selective colleges do not factor in demonstrated interest and therefore do not record who shows up and who doesn’t. During a WSJ/Unigo webcast presentation (Unigo is the college search website that features reviews from current students), the dean of admission at Wesleyan shared that one-third of the incoming freshman class had not visited, interviewed or contacted the admission office prior to or after submitting an application. Her point: the school does not factor demonstrated interest in its admission process. Some colleges, including Duke and Stanford, will tell you outright that it makes no difference.
So how do you find out who cares and who doesn’t? It is not exactly the question you want to pose to the admission office, so play it safe, get on the mailing list and schedule that interview (on campus or with an alumna) if interviews are offered and recommended. A well posed question might win brownie points at the college that values your expression of interest. You have nothing to lose. Just don’t stalk.
Why has demonstrated interest become so important in the admission process? The short answer is, blame it on the economy. With colleges feeling pressure to manage enrollment, especially during times of economic uncertainty, the better they can predict who will attend, the more successful they will be at filling the class and generating tuition dollars. Furthermore, improved enrollment forecasts can benefit a school’s rankings. Colleges that both lower their acceptance rates and increase yields (the percentage of accepted students who actually enroll) are likely to see their national rankings benefit too.
The obvious next question is, what is the best way to demonstrate interest and which schools care? Applying Early Decision, of course, is a clear indication to the school that it is your first choice. Since Early Decision is binding, the college has no doubt that your interest is genuine. Other ways to show you are serious about a school is by visiting the campus, scheduling an interview, especially if the college recommends it, and contacting the admission representative who covers your region. Seeking the answer to a question that is not readily available on the college website is a great way to initiate contact. When you visit a campus, be sure to fill out the information form in the admission office so that your visit is duly noted. Some colleges will tell you outright that your expression of interest is a factor in their admission process. Either way, it does no harm to get on the mailing list and contact your regional representative, as long as your questions are thoughtful and not excessive...never stalk!
However, not all colleges and universities consider demonstrated interest in their admission processes. Wondering why you weren’t asked to fill out a form when you toured Yale? Not surprisingly, the most selective colleges do not factor in demonstrated interest and therefore do not record who shows up and who doesn’t. During a WSJ/Unigo webcast presentation (Unigo is the college search website that features reviews from current students), the dean of admission at Wesleyan shared that one-third of the incoming freshman class had not visited, interviewed or contacted the admission office prior to or after submitting an application. Her point: the school does not factor demonstrated interest in its admission process. Some colleges, including Duke and Stanford, will tell you outright that it makes no difference.
So how do you find out who cares and who doesn’t? It is not exactly the question you want to pose to the admission office, so play it safe, get on the mailing list and schedule that interview (on campus or with an alumna) if interviews are offered and recommended. A well posed question might win brownie points at the college that values your expression of interest. You have nothing to lose. Just don’t stalk.
Monday, September 6, 2010
A Commitment to Match Financial Aid - The New Ivy League Approach
Paying for college is one of the most pressing concerns for families today, which is why I feel compelled to share ideas that may help families manage the cost. Followers of my blog have read my postings on the merit aid “arms race,” or how colleges use tuition discounting to attract the students that they especially want to enhance their class profile. However, a battle for exceptional students has now taken hold at the top tier of selective colleges: the Ivy League.
As many of you know, the eight Ivy League colleges, along with a handful of other highly selective schools, do not offer merit aid to students. Even those with mega-endowments use their financial aid resources exclusively for students who demonstrate financial need. This naturally figures; such colleges and universities have no trouble drawing top students, so there is no incentive to offer grants just to lure students away from other schools. Besides, merit aid awards run counter to the more important mission of access regardless of cost. Yet that does not mean that these toughest admit schools aren’t thinking about ways to compete with their peer institutions for students. With little fanfare, two universities, Cornell and Dartmouth, decided to go head to head with other Ivies, using financial aid for precisely that purpose. Both universities will soon match the aid packages that students are awarded by other Ivies and a few highly competitive schools too.
Back in 2007-2008, partly due to government pressure to spend their endowments on students rather than lose tax-exempt benefits, some 40 top tier schools dispensed with loans for the neediest students. Two universities with the largest endowments, Harvard and Yale, set an even higher bar in order to also benefit middle income families: At Harvard students with family incomes of less than $60,000 pay nothing, while those who make less than $180,000 have their costs capped at10% of their income. For Yale students, the income ceiling which allows students to take advantage of the 10% maximum out-of-pocket is a whopping $200,000. Cornell, having a far larger student body and much smaller endowment, is in no financial position to compete with such hefty aid packages for all of its students.
Yet not wanting to lose out on some of these gifted students, Cornell has found a way to compete without offering such generous awards across the board. Starting with the class enrolling for the fall of 2011, Cornell will match the offer of other Ivies to which the student has been accepted. Cornell has issued the same match policy for students accepted to Duke and Stanford. However, if your child happens be one of the students in this high class problem category, don’t expect Cornell to come to you. It is up to the student to approach Cornell to request the additional aid based upon the competing package.
Sure, this will affect a very limited group of students: those who are smart and lucky enough to be accepted to at least two Ivy League schools while also qualifying for financial aid. Yet the concept of competing aid policies does expand the notion of affordability of an Ivy League education to a broader universe of middle income families. The student who would choose Cornell or Dartmouth over Harvard will no longer have to factor cost or potential outstanding debt into the equation. This is a positive step forward for college affordability. But just so you don’t think I’ve completely taken leave of my senses, let me assure you that I am fully aware of the most difficult hurdle which remains: Getting in!
As many of you know, the eight Ivy League colleges, along with a handful of other highly selective schools, do not offer merit aid to students. Even those with mega-endowments use their financial aid resources exclusively for students who demonstrate financial need. This naturally figures; such colleges and universities have no trouble drawing top students, so there is no incentive to offer grants just to lure students away from other schools. Besides, merit aid awards run counter to the more important mission of access regardless of cost. Yet that does not mean that these toughest admit schools aren’t thinking about ways to compete with their peer institutions for students. With little fanfare, two universities, Cornell and Dartmouth, decided to go head to head with other Ivies, using financial aid for precisely that purpose. Both universities will soon match the aid packages that students are awarded by other Ivies and a few highly competitive schools too.
Back in 2007-2008, partly due to government pressure to spend their endowments on students rather than lose tax-exempt benefits, some 40 top tier schools dispensed with loans for the neediest students. Two universities with the largest endowments, Harvard and Yale, set an even higher bar in order to also benefit middle income families: At Harvard students with family incomes of less than $60,000 pay nothing, while those who make less than $180,000 have their costs capped at10% of their income. For Yale students, the income ceiling which allows students to take advantage of the 10% maximum out-of-pocket is a whopping $200,000. Cornell, having a far larger student body and much smaller endowment, is in no financial position to compete with such hefty aid packages for all of its students.
Yet not wanting to lose out on some of these gifted students, Cornell has found a way to compete without offering such generous awards across the board. Starting with the class enrolling for the fall of 2011, Cornell will match the offer of other Ivies to which the student has been accepted. Cornell has issued the same match policy for students accepted to Duke and Stanford. However, if your child happens be one of the students in this high class problem category, don’t expect Cornell to come to you. It is up to the student to approach Cornell to request the additional aid based upon the competing package.
Sure, this will affect a very limited group of students: those who are smart and lucky enough to be accepted to at least two Ivy League schools while also qualifying for financial aid. Yet the concept of competing aid policies does expand the notion of affordability of an Ivy League education to a broader universe of middle income families. The student who would choose Cornell or Dartmouth over Harvard will no longer have to factor cost or potential outstanding debt into the equation. This is a positive step forward for college affordability. But just so you don’t think I’ve completely taken leave of my senses, let me assure you that I am fully aware of the most difficult hurdle which remains: Getting in!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
It's Mid-August - Must Be College Ranking Season
Today the U.S. News & World Report published its annual Best Colleges 2011, the granddaddy of school rankings that students and their families too often use as the definitive source and arbiter for academic quality. Sure, USNWR provides a detailed explanation of its methodology as if to suggest transparency. Yet it still fails to convince this reader that the formula inputs offer anything but a highly subjective assessment that does little to assist students in finding schools that are the right fit and that will provide a meaningful and fulfilling college experience.
This year USNWR tweaked its criteria, with the most significant adjustment being the weighting of input from other education professionals. Though this now accounts for 22.5% rather than 25% of the total ranking, the methodology still places far too much emphasis on some subjective measure of a school's reputation. The good news is that only 15% is determined by administrators from competing institutions who I’m certain rarely if ever step foot on the college campuses they are judging. Even if they do, is this not a conflict of interest? For the first time high school guidance counselors have a say in the rankings and make up 7.5% of the 22.5% reputational factor. I am skeptical whether this actually helps students make informed college decisions. Most high school counselors know that students would be better served by considering fit over someone else’s opinion of a college’s place on a list that has questionable criteria.
Here is my question for every student and parent who feels compelled to look at the college rankings: what is there about this list of colleges and the way it is presented that gives you any insight about the academic strengths, the quality of life, the social scene, or the support services, academic and otherwise available at each school? I am not suggesting that all of the factors are meaningless. For example, I also believe that graduation and retention rates are important. However, a couple of statistics do not tell the whole story. The top schools on each of these ranking lists, for the most part, are all well endowed and can provide substantial need based aid. What about colleges of quality that cannot afford to be as generous with financial aid? In this economy many students are forced to take a leave from their education due to lack of adequate funds to pay tuition and support themselves through school. In other words, the economy is hurting retention numbers for some fine colleges that cannot spend as much as they would like on aid. My point is, too little information about what drives the numbers often leads one to draw the wrong conclusions.
But is it a “good” college? My own 17 year old has finally learned to stop asking me that question, though when she occasionally slips, she quickly recovers with, “I know, I know…don’t confuse selectivity with quality.” She’s finally catching on! Isn’t it curious that the colleges with the lowest rankings also have the lowest acceptance rates? The correlation between acceptance rate and a ranking which is supposed to order schools by some measure of “best” is especially troubling to me.
U.S. News & World Report is not the only publication to issue its assessment of colleges this month. Forbes.com recently published its list of America’s Best Colleges which has many surprises that will have you scratching your head, especially when compared with the USNWR rankings. And lets not short change Sierra Magazine’s current ranking of the Greenest Colleges. If you are not happy where your own alma mater ranks on any of these lists, be patient. Another ranking is sure to be released shortly.
This year USNWR tweaked its criteria, with the most significant adjustment being the weighting of input from other education professionals. Though this now accounts for 22.5% rather than 25% of the total ranking, the methodology still places far too much emphasis on some subjective measure of a school's reputation. The good news is that only 15% is determined by administrators from competing institutions who I’m certain rarely if ever step foot on the college campuses they are judging. Even if they do, is this not a conflict of interest? For the first time high school guidance counselors have a say in the rankings and make up 7.5% of the 22.5% reputational factor. I am skeptical whether this actually helps students make informed college decisions. Most high school counselors know that students would be better served by considering fit over someone else’s opinion of a college’s place on a list that has questionable criteria.
Here is my question for every student and parent who feels compelled to look at the college rankings: what is there about this list of colleges and the way it is presented that gives you any insight about the academic strengths, the quality of life, the social scene, or the support services, academic and otherwise available at each school? I am not suggesting that all of the factors are meaningless. For example, I also believe that graduation and retention rates are important. However, a couple of statistics do not tell the whole story. The top schools on each of these ranking lists, for the most part, are all well endowed and can provide substantial need based aid. What about colleges of quality that cannot afford to be as generous with financial aid? In this economy many students are forced to take a leave from their education due to lack of adequate funds to pay tuition and support themselves through school. In other words, the economy is hurting retention numbers for some fine colleges that cannot spend as much as they would like on aid. My point is, too little information about what drives the numbers often leads one to draw the wrong conclusions.
But is it a “good” college? My own 17 year old has finally learned to stop asking me that question, though when she occasionally slips, she quickly recovers with, “I know, I know…don’t confuse selectivity with quality.” She’s finally catching on! Isn’t it curious that the colleges with the lowest rankings also have the lowest acceptance rates? The correlation between acceptance rate and a ranking which is supposed to order schools by some measure of “best” is especially troubling to me.
U.S. News & World Report is not the only publication to issue its assessment of colleges this month. Forbes.com recently published its list of America’s Best Colleges which has many surprises that will have you scratching your head, especially when compared with the USNWR rankings. And lets not short change Sierra Magazine’s current ranking of the Greenest Colleges. If you are not happy where your own alma mater ranks on any of these lists, be patient. Another ranking is sure to be released shortly.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Three Year Degree - Ingenious or Falling Short?
The cost of a college degree continues to rise. One might think this is incentive enough to get through as quickly as possible. On the contrary, the national average for students graduating college within six years is only 53%. While this graduation rate is disturbing, it does not tell the whole story. Some extend their stay to balance work and school, the former a necessity in order to be able to afford the tuition costs. Others have fallen victim to budget cuts and class schedule reductions, making it more difficult to register for and complete required courses on time.
Despite the trend towards extending one’s colleges years, programs are becoming more prevalent at universities around the country which offer the opportunity to earn a degree in three years. These programs are not for everyone yet their proponents claim that the benefits are multiple: students save on tuition, room and board, colleges achieve better utilization of their resources by offering classes year round and graduation rates improve.
With cost pressures driving many decisions today, several colleges, including University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY and the University of Illinois now offer a three year degree. To ensure timely graduation, these programs generally include priority registration and special advising to the students which enable them to adhere to a tight timetable and to stay focused. Bate College in Lewiston, Maine has offered the three year degree since 1965, yet to date few students have actually taken advantage of it.
Proponents cite the cost advantages for students and more rapid turnover for universities as students earn degrees in a shorter period of time. Those in support of these programs also believe they will force positive changes in curriculum as colleges seeks ways to cover a multitude of subjects in a more condensed time frame. This, they profess, will lead to a greater emphasis on inter-disciplinary learning.
The three year degree is clearly not for everyone. Students who benefit must be prepared to step onto the fast track. Often workloads are heavy and schedules require year round attendance to finish within three years. Are you prepared to declare a major after your first year? Forget the three year degree if you want to explore a variety of subjects before making that decision. It is also not a practical route for those who must work to support themselves through college.
Critics question the practicality of three year programs when students already have a tough time finishing in four. Three year programs also challenge the very essence of the college experience which goes beyond academics alone. Students who finish in three will have limited time, if any, to participate in extra-curricular activities and take part in many of the social aspects which some might argue are a primary component of college life. Students would also be forced to forgo pursuing courses out of sheer interest, since the truncated time schedule will restrict the ability to explore. Last but not least, some question whether the three year degree serves the needs of the market, where employers are placing new demands on college graduates. Having a specific skill is often not what those hiring really want to see. Today’s business leaders are redefining the necessary core skills for success, e.g., global and inter-cultural awareness, teamwork and problem solving skills, ethical reasoning, critical thinking and decision making capabilities. Will a rush to get through in three years short change students in these areas? There is no doubt that some serious curriculum re-design must be part of any trend to finish college in record time.
Despite the trend towards extending one’s colleges years, programs are becoming more prevalent at universities around the country which offer the opportunity to earn a degree in three years. These programs are not for everyone yet their proponents claim that the benefits are multiple: students save on tuition, room and board, colleges achieve better utilization of their resources by offering classes year round and graduation rates improve.
With cost pressures driving many decisions today, several colleges, including University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY and the University of Illinois now offer a three year degree. To ensure timely graduation, these programs generally include priority registration and special advising to the students which enable them to adhere to a tight timetable and to stay focused. Bate College in Lewiston, Maine has offered the three year degree since 1965, yet to date few students have actually taken advantage of it.
Proponents cite the cost advantages for students and more rapid turnover for universities as students earn degrees in a shorter period of time. Those in support of these programs also believe they will force positive changes in curriculum as colleges seeks ways to cover a multitude of subjects in a more condensed time frame. This, they profess, will lead to a greater emphasis on inter-disciplinary learning.
The three year degree is clearly not for everyone. Students who benefit must be prepared to step onto the fast track. Often workloads are heavy and schedules require year round attendance to finish within three years. Are you prepared to declare a major after your first year? Forget the three year degree if you want to explore a variety of subjects before making that decision. It is also not a practical route for those who must work to support themselves through college.
Critics question the practicality of three year programs when students already have a tough time finishing in four. Three year programs also challenge the very essence of the college experience which goes beyond academics alone. Students who finish in three will have limited time, if any, to participate in extra-curricular activities and take part in many of the social aspects which some might argue are a primary component of college life. Students would also be forced to forgo pursuing courses out of sheer interest, since the truncated time schedule will restrict the ability to explore. Last but not least, some question whether the three year degree serves the needs of the market, where employers are placing new demands on college graduates. Having a specific skill is often not what those hiring really want to see. Today’s business leaders are redefining the necessary core skills for success, e.g., global and inter-cultural awareness, teamwork and problem solving skills, ethical reasoning, critical thinking and decision making capabilities. Will a rush to get through in three years short change students in these areas? There is no doubt that some serious curriculum re-design must be part of any trend to finish college in record time.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tour d'Admission - My Reflections
After months of anticipation and training, I find it difficult to believe that the southern California college cycling tour has come and gone, at least for this rider (a few of my colleagues have continued on for another week). The experience, not surprisingly, was about more than just visiting colleges. I anticipated good cycling, informative college visits and the pleasure of traveling with a group of likeminded, adventuresome college counselors. Even with that expectation, the high that I am still on, 4 days into my return, feels bigger than just the joys of a good trip. For the past few days I have been asking myself what made this experience so different from other college visits, vacations and travel I have done. Tonight as I sat down to write this posting, not exactly sure where I would take it, an answer came to me: I feel like I just had my own mini college experience.
On Sunday night, July 4th, 17 strangers came together on the campus of the University of the Redlands in the California town of the same name. We arrived in shifts throughout the day, got our dorm room assignments, and met suitemates and fellow cyclists. Once we were all settled in, we gathered for an outdoor “icebreaker” pizza party on an unseasonably cool night for July (June Gloom one month late, we were repeatedly told). We were also treated to the truly spectacular Redlands fireworks display, complete with skydivers and musical entertainment.
Still on east coast time, many of us retired early, spending our first of several nights in university housing. The following day we had to be awake and alert for our morning tour of the University of Redlands, followed by our first venture out on the bikes. I’m speculating that a good handful of us were a little anxious in anticipation of our first ride together, a 45 trip to our next destination, the Claremont Colleges. Remember the odd sensation of excitement mixed with nerves during the first few days of college? I guess you can say that some of us were experiencing those uneasy emotions all over again.
Over the course of the next few days we all found our “bike” legs and started to feel comfortable with each other. We were truly an eclectic group, coming from virtually every region of the country and bringing along a variety of backgrounds and experiences. However, we quickly came to appreciate our differences, quirks, and senses of humor. We stopped and helped each other when panniers fell off unexpectedly on the road, tires went flat, or in the case of yours truly, the resident diabetic, a stop for some sugar refueling was in order. Cycling on long, high traffic thoroughfares, through Los Angeles city streets at rush hour and up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, we learned what it meant to take responsibility for ourselves, as well as help and look out for others. Some of us sported scrapes and scars from minor mishaps (I took the award for most falls off the bike from a stationery position…those darn clip-ins!). One of our members gave the rest of us a good scare, ending up in the hospital with dehydration on the last night. We all heaved a sigh of relief the next morning to learn the cause of her fainting, and see her regain color and her smile. Unfortunately, she and another companion finished the last leg in a car rather than on bikes with the rest of us, but were there to meet us at each stop along the way.
I made wonderful new friends on this trip, just like my college experience, and we are already talking about our reunion at the annual NACAC conference in the fall as well as the location of next year’s college cycling trip. As I reflect on the past week and feel this amazing sense of accomplishment, I also think about the experience of going off to college. It’s about taking responsibility for oneself and sometimes for others. College is a time to learn and explore new things, as we did on our college visits, to make choices, individually and collectively, be flexible and open to the unexpected and seek the opportunities to expand one’s horizons. I’ll go out on a limb and include our farewell lunch at the In and Out Burger as just that type of mind and palate expanding experience!
We all recorded our trip with photos, mine taken on my Blackberry, and our trip has been immortalized in Jacques Steinberg’s NY Times blog, The Choice, which of course was a thrill for all of the riders. (http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/ But the best part of this experience are the feelings and memories that pictures and blogs can’t fully capture. They are just the thoughts that make one feel good all over again when the mind momentarily wonders back there.
On Sunday night, July 4th, 17 strangers came together on the campus of the University of the Redlands in the California town of the same name. We arrived in shifts throughout the day, got our dorm room assignments, and met suitemates and fellow cyclists. Once we were all settled in, we gathered for an outdoor “icebreaker” pizza party on an unseasonably cool night for July (June Gloom one month late, we were repeatedly told). We were also treated to the truly spectacular Redlands fireworks display, complete with skydivers and musical entertainment.
Still on east coast time, many of us retired early, spending our first of several nights in university housing. The following day we had to be awake and alert for our morning tour of the University of Redlands, followed by our first venture out on the bikes. I’m speculating that a good handful of us were a little anxious in anticipation of our first ride together, a 45 trip to our next destination, the Claremont Colleges. Remember the odd sensation of excitement mixed with nerves during the first few days of college? I guess you can say that some of us were experiencing those uneasy emotions all over again.
Over the course of the next few days we all found our “bike” legs and started to feel comfortable with each other. We were truly an eclectic group, coming from virtually every region of the country and bringing along a variety of backgrounds and experiences. However, we quickly came to appreciate our differences, quirks, and senses of humor. We stopped and helped each other when panniers fell off unexpectedly on the road, tires went flat, or in the case of yours truly, the resident diabetic, a stop for some sugar refueling was in order. Cycling on long, high traffic thoroughfares, through Los Angeles city streets at rush hour and up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, we learned what it meant to take responsibility for ourselves, as well as help and look out for others. Some of us sported scrapes and scars from minor mishaps (I took the award for most falls off the bike from a stationery position…those darn clip-ins!). One of our members gave the rest of us a good scare, ending up in the hospital with dehydration on the last night. We all heaved a sigh of relief the next morning to learn the cause of her fainting, and see her regain color and her smile. Unfortunately, she and another companion finished the last leg in a car rather than on bikes with the rest of us, but were there to meet us at each stop along the way.
I made wonderful new friends on this trip, just like my college experience, and we are already talking about our reunion at the annual NACAC conference in the fall as well as the location of next year’s college cycling trip. As I reflect on the past week and feel this amazing sense of accomplishment, I also think about the experience of going off to college. It’s about taking responsibility for oneself and sometimes for others. College is a time to learn and explore new things, as we did on our college visits, to make choices, individually and collectively, be flexible and open to the unexpected and seek the opportunities to expand one’s horizons. I’ll go out on a limb and include our farewell lunch at the In and Out Burger as just that type of mind and palate expanding experience!
We all recorded our trip with photos, mine taken on my Blackberry, and our trip has been immortalized in Jacques Steinberg’s NY Times blog, The Choice, which of course was a thrill for all of the riders. (http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/ But the best part of this experience are the feelings and memories that pictures and blogs can’t fully capture. They are just the thoughts that make one feel good all over again when the mind momentarily wonders back there.
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